We are happy to announce Bob Reichard’s promotion to Vice President of Finance. As Controller for Graceworks for the past decade, he has spent 35 (non-sequential) years with us, dubbing himself a “boomerang.” A man who loves a constant challenge, Bob’s proudest moment was completing a full Ironman triathlon. He also enjoys staying active by playing golf and sand volleyball. We look forward to many more years of faithful service!

Congratulations to Mike Allen on his retirement after 25 years of service. Mike oversaw many of the expansion projects over his career as well as stewarding the many investments made by Graceworks. We are grateful for Mike’s dedication to our organization, and wish him many happy years ahead!

A core part of our mission is supporting adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities with dignity and wholeness. Our culture of faithful caring led Graceworks Enhanced Living staff to go above and beyond when a recent move increased the distance between Trent and his family. Trent had never lived alone before he joined the family in one of our Dayton homes nearly 10 years ago. What Trent quickly found was that it was a perfect home for him to experience living independently, especially when he found a job of his own. When Trent’s parents recently moved to Cincinnati for a new job opportunity, the Dayton team knew they needed to support Trent in finding a new place that was closer to his parent’s home.

“We all wanted Trent to stay in our Graceworks family,” said Kelly Bergstrom, senior services manager. “His parents would have continued to drive to Dayton every weekend to pick him up for home visits, but we knew there had to be a better option for him.”

During a staff meeting, Kelly’s ears perked up when she heard another manager mention an opening at one of our Cincinnati homes that was much closer to Trent’s parents.

Trent was determined to make the decision to move on his own. With the full support of the team, Trent set up his own visits, tours, and overnight stays, and eventually fell in love with the new home and individuals – only telling his parents after he’d decided to make the move and had made all the arrangements. He was even able to transfer his job to a Cincinnati location near his new home.

“Trent has grown so much since he first moved in. He’s finding his voice with the support of a caring staff. If you look at the picture of the day he moved into his new house, he has such joy on his face because he’s home. This is the right place for him.”

– Kelly Bergstrom, Senior Services Manager, Graceworks Enhanced Living

In the end, Trent got what he wanted and needed by staying with the Graceworks family while being close to his family. And he moved the way he wanted to, leading with his own choices and the Enhanced Living team guiding him to ensure he maintained his independence.

Centerville, Ohio (June 5, 2019) – Graceworks Lutheran Services, a non-profit organization based in Centerville, Ohio is pleased to announce the creation of a new Employee Resource Network ® (ERN) and Success Coach. The ERN, which is a partnership of three local employers plus Graceworks, is the first of its kind in southwest Ohio.

Called Soaring to Success, it is just the fourth ERN in all of Ohio.

Kathleen Rome will serve as the Success Coach for this new ERN. She is employed by the Miami Valley Community Action Partnership. Ms. Rome will split her time amongst all four employers. Her work with employees is completely confidential.

Graceworks employees may reach out to the Success Coach for a variety of issues, including seeking help securing childcare, homelessness prevention, legal matters and more. Rome is skilled at navigating agencies and community services.

While Kathleen Rome does not formally begin her position as Success Coach until June 10, she has already helped several Graceworks employees impacted by the recent tornado outbreak in Dayton. This assistance includes rehoming, sourcing companies for property cleanup and locating food sources and donations.

“I am happy to welcome Kathleen Rome to Graceworks as our Success Coach,” says Jennifer Wurzelbacher, Human Resources Manager. “Having Ms. Rome available to help employees during a time of crisis or transition helps us to live our organizational value of Faithful Caring.”

Graceworks and the other three employers spent about a year researching and building the Soaring to Success ERN. The goal of the ERN is to increase work/life balance among employees and to reduce turnover.

Centerville, Ohio (May 28, 2019) – Graceworks Lutheran Services is pleased to announce Dawn Barhorst as its new Vice President of Human Resources. Barhorst will be in charge of recruiting, benefits, training and volunteer programs.

As Vice President of Human Resources, Barhorst will lead a human resources and talent team that is refocusing on employee engagement and positioning Graceworks as the employer of choice for entry-level career seekers in the Miami Valley. With nearly 1,200 employees, Graceworks is one of the largest employers in Centerville and the surrounding area.

“At Graceworks, our goal is to help all our residents and clients experience a sense of home. We strive to deliver on the brand promise of Faithful Caring each day,” said Judy A. Budi, Graceworks President & CEO. “We are a mission-driven employer. At Graceworks, we wish to help our employees derive meaning from their work with older adults and those with disabilities. With the proper drive, we are an organization where individuals at all levels may learn, train and succeed.”

Barhorst joins Graceworks following a role as Human Resources Director for ITW Hobart. At ITW, she oversaw HR strategy for all employees across 46 states and seven countries. She held a similar level position at NCR. She has a B.S. in Marketing and an MBA in Management from Wright State University.

On March 3, 2019, Judy A. Budi officially became the eighth CEO of Graceworks Lutheran Services. After 20+ years with the organization in a wide range of capacities, Judy is well able to lead us forward as the future of healthcare and the workforce continues to evolve.

Since 1926, the Graceworks vision of faithful caring has never wavered. Under Judy’s mindful leadership, we will remain dedicated to caring for older adults and those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in our communities. As Judy says … “We’ve been a leader for 90 years and we will continue to be a leader!”

Watch the video to learn more.

On Sunday, March 3, Graceworks formally thanked Willis O. Serr II for his longtime service to the organization. Bill faithfully served Graceworks for over 30 years, with many of those in the role of President and CEO. Bill has earned a happy retirement filled with Ohio State Football games and travel with his wife and adult children.

Today, Judy A. Budi becomes the eighth CEO of Graceworks Lutheran Services. Graceworks was incorporated in 1926 as the Lutheran Inner Mission League of the Miami Valley. Many things have changed over those 90+ years, but the constant has always been the organization’s mission to faithfully care for community members. Today, we serve older adults at Bethany Village, through Graceworks at Home and Graceworks Housing Services. And we remain dedicated to caring for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through Graceworks Enhanced Living. With Ms. Budi’s leadership, we look forward to the future.

Bill and Judy recently discussed the history of Graceworks. Here is a video of them reminiscing together.

Centerville, Ohio (January 15, 2019) – Graceworks Lutheran Services, a large nonprofit organization based in Centerville, Ohio is pleased to announce Judy A. Budi will be its new President & Chief Executive Officer effective March 2, 2019.

Budi replaces current CEO Willis O. Serr II who will retire after 30 years of service on March 1, 2019. Budi has been part of the seasoned leadership team developed by Serr and will continue the organization’s strong commitment to mission and values known as Faithful Caring.

Budi will be the first female and the eighth CEO overall in Graceworks’ 93 year history.

The Graceworks Board of Directors launched a four-month long nationwide search to fill the position. Budi was selected from a large pool of candidates. In her current role, Budi serves as Vice President, Residential Care, for Graceworks Lutheran Services, acting as the chief operations officer for Bethany Village, Graceworks Enhanced Living, Graceworks Housing Services, and Graceworks at Home.

A special worship service will be held at Epiphany Lutheran Church on March 3, 2019, to mark the transition. The service will begin with a celebration of Serr’s leadership and conclude with the commissioning of Budi as the new chief executive.

“The Board had a very difficult decision choosing from several exceptionally well qualified candidates. Ultimately the Board determined that Judy was the best person to continue the Graceworks vision,” explained Jeffrey Teeters, Graceworks Board Chair. “Judy is adept at navigating the changing landscape of healthcare which is essential to so many of our services for seniors and other vulnerable populations. We are confident Judy will successfully lead the organization forward with both strategic vision and compassion for the residents we serve as well as our 1,200 employees.”

“I am excited and honored by this opportunity,” said Budi. “I have devoted the majority of my career championing the Graceworks culture of Faithful Caring, supporting our dedicated employees, and advocating for our residents and clients. I am committed to advancing our great reputation and developing new, innovative strategies for residents who call one of our locations home, and for clients who rely on our services to stay in their homes.”

Willis Serr, current Graceworks CEO observed, “I am delighted with the Board’s selection. Having promoted and mentored Judy in her current position for 15 years, I know that she is exceptionally qualified for her new role. I have great confidence that all Graceworks services will continue to thrive and reflect quality under her leadership.”

A native of Sidney, Ohio, Budi has worked for Graceworks since 1994. She previously served as Director of Food Services for Bethany Village and later as Administrator of Residential Services for Bethany Village and Graceworks Housing Services. She was promoted to Vice President, Residential Care, in 2003. She is a member and immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors for LeadingAge Ohio, an organization that represents over 500 nonprofit senior living communities in the state. Judy is a member and past president of Rotary Club of Centerville and the Centerville-Washington Township Foundation Board. She is a 2008 graduate of the Dayton Chamber of Commerce Leadership Dayton program.

Judy Budi earned her undergraduate degree in dietetics from Bowling Green State University and a master’s degree in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University. She has completed executive education in strategic management of nonprofit organizations at Harvard Business School and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. She lives in Washington Township with her husband, Gerry.

For more than 90 years, Graceworks Lutheran Services has provided a variety of nonprofit residential and community care services. Graceworks provides services in more than 60 locations in southwestern Ohio, eastern Indiana and northern Kentucky.

Programs include Bethany Village, a senior living community; Graceworks at Home, a home health and personal care services agency; Graceworks Enhanced Living serving persons with developmental disabilities; and Graceworks Housing Services providing affordable housing to income qualified seniors and persons with disabilities.